Cloth-laying machine



Feb. 2,1926. 1,571,808

H. SCHWARTZMAN.

CLOTH LAYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb, 2 1936.

H. SQHWARTZMAN cLo'rfi LAYING mcama 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21, 1925 MWU amazmazz ATTORNEY Feb. 2 1926.

- 1,571,808 H. SCHWARTZMAN CLOTH LAYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 26 26 ll 28' g7" 25 29 so 3/ 27 4 mvEu-ron' Feb. 2 1926.

H. SCHWARTZMAN cLo'm LAYING momma Filed Feb. 21. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY mans:

Patented Feb. 2, 11925.

isnsos HARRY SCEWARTZD IAN, GE NEW' YORK, N. Y.

CLOTH-LAYIZNG MACHINE.

Application filed. February .31, 1925. SeriaI No. 10,923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that '1, H RRY Scnwanrzanm, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New. York city, in the county of New York and State of NeivYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cloth-Laying Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cloth laying machines.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a machine for laying out a roll or bolt of cloth in predetermined lengths and in pile formation whereby the cloth is prepared for cutting into separable lengths prior to the cutting out of the garn'ients to be formed therefrom.

Another object is to provide a cloth laying machine which is automatic in its action so as to require the services of a single operator for operation of the same.

A further object of the invention is to embody in a machine of the above mentioned type, a carriage movable back and forth over a table for laying out the cloth from the roll or bolt, and spaced clamping means on the table in the path of movement of said carriage for automatic operation when the carriage has reached the limit of its movements, for gripping the folds of cloth and securely holding the same until it is desired to remove the lengths of cloth from the table.

A still further object is the provision of a cloth laying machine-which is portable and adjustable to tables of various lengths and widths, and which may be set-up within a minimum amount of space for the laying of relatively longlengths of cloth, and which is simple in construction and cheap of manufacture.

With these and other-objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construc tion and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in-the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view therethrough.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 3-8 of Figure 2,

Figure 1- is a similar view on the line l l of Figure 2. I

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the cloth laying rollers.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the clamping bars.

Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 are diagrammatic views showing the several steps in the operation of the machine.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings, in wvhich the reference numeral 10 designates a support in the nature of an elongated table upon which my invention is mounted for operation. My improved cloth laying machine includes a pair of spaced rails 11 secured to the top face of the table and extending approximately the length of the same and which co-act to form a track for supporting and guiding a carriage 12 mounted upon the wheels 11 in its movement thereon. Broadly, the invention includes a carriage 12, cloth clamping means 13 secured at opposite ends of the table in the path of movement of the carriage, and which co-act with the carriage upon the limit of its movement in opposite direction to form a fold in the cloth.

The carriage 12 comprises av frame 1 1 of relatively U-shape, the legs of which rotatably support the wheels 11" above referred to, and which legs are slotted as at 15 for rotatably and slidably receiving the stub shafts 16, 16, of a cloth laying and folding member 17. The member 17 comprises spaced bars 18 and '19 which arerotatable with respect to the stub shafts to permit the cloth to freely pass thereover during the laying of the cloth as will be presently explained. Gears 20 are keyed to the stub shafts while rotatable sleeves 21 encircle the stub shafts between the gears 20 and the support for the bars 18 and 19. A handle 22-is provided on the top of the frame for the convenience of the operator to permit the carriage to be rolled back and forth across the table for a purpose to be herein- ("Levi otter explained. The cloth clamping means .13 comprises a base 23 from which extends adjustable jaws for engagement with the longitudinal side edges of the table whereby the name may be securely held thereon and capable of use on tables oi various widths and lengths. Spaced p E25 rise vertically from each base i? and are disposed in transverse alignment, the poets of each base being also in alignment with the poets on the opposite base. Each post i olidabl eupports tor vertical movement an inwardly extending}; arm which is formed with a ram shaped slot QT, the mouth of which is always disposed in horizontal alignment with the sleeves 2i. on the stub shat'te 16. and in order to assistthe sleeves in their movement through the walls ot the cam shaped slots there is provided rollers 27 on the inner faces of the arm. Secured to the outer taee of each arm Qti is an areuate el'uiped gear racl; disposed in lone'itudi ,al alignment for eo-aetion with the gears 20 as the sleeves enter the cam slots: 27 to rotate the stub shat'ts to cause the bars 18 and 19 to reverse their horizontal positions and which causes the stub shatter to rotate one-halt revolution. The walls of the mouth of the slots 27 serve as a guide for bringing" the gears into position for engagtn ment with the raelia 2S. it transversely disposed bar 28 journalled in eaeh trans verselv disposed pair of arms no and is formed with right ane'ularlv disposed ,egrippine portions; :21) and 230, the edges ol' which may he errated. the space between the portions defining a is given a quarter revolution by the respe'rlive eloth loving: hare l and it.) upon the limit, o'l' movement oi the earria re in oppoeite direetion.

ne eel, of pest 25 supports a tension and guiding means 3:. tor the cloth as it pat ern from the roll, or holt into the machine. and whieh in uns includes a 't'ranie I325 removahtv seeured to the posts 525 and vertically adjustable thereon. 'lraneverse tension bars tllare carried by the frame and are disposed at ditl'erent heights with the higher har nearer the end ot the table. A. guide bar is rotatably mounted in the top end oi the trame adjacent the higher bar St and. is formed at opposite sides of its? renter with right and le'lt spirals 35 to cause the cloth to straighten toward the edges should the same enter the machine in a eondition other than. a tlat (,nndition. JL(l lll$ltll.llt? eollars 36 are carried by the bar an for guiding the edges ot' the cloth thereover and which collars are set apart approximately the distance of the width of the cloth to be laid.

A tension bar 87 may also be mounted in the vertical legs of the earriage frame let out of the path of rotation of the bars 18 and it?) when they have been raised to the poel'z'et ii and which har limit oi. their vertical movements. The cloth adapted to pass me and under the tension bars 34: and over the bar 37, and thence between the cloth laying liars 1.8 and 1s).

\Vhen preparing the machine for operation. the elan'iping means 13 are first; adjusted to the desired spare relation which depends upon the length oi? the layer of cloth desired. The free end oi. the roll of cloth is then drawn over the guide bar 35 beneath the upper tension rod S t and over the lower tension bar 3&- and either directly between the cloth laying bars 18 and 1!) or over the tension bar 3'? and then between the cloth laying bars, depending; upon the weight of the cloth to he laid and the amount of tension desired. The operator now moves the :arriage toward the right and as the gears 20 move into meshing engagen'ient with the racks, the position of the bars 18 and 19 is reversed thereby causing: a loop or fold to be termed in the cloth C as indicated its the sleeves on the stub shatt nrove to the closed end of the eam shaped slots, the 'l'oreinost of the ha 18 and it) enters the poehet 31. of the gripping bar 28 and rotates the said bar a quarter revolution as shown in Figure 9 of the drawing. The portion 20 which was Formerly in vertical gripping position has moved to a horizontal position while the portion 530 is now serving to hold the ninth clamped against the l tii-tt'. E2 3 and is pressing theeloth at; a. point between the hars i and it). is the carriage is moved .in the opposite di ertion toward the other end oi. the table the gears ill) again mesh with the ltltjltS whieh moves the burn it; and 'l.) to their 'lormer posit-ion. but they have in turn let't a fold in the eloth and which. is now held down by the portion ill) ot the gripping: bar as shown in l igrure 10 ot the drawing. It will he noted that; the gripping bar has been auloniatieallv moved. to its former poaition as the eloth laying bars cannot pass out ol the pocket 31 without operating: the gripping bar to move the same to its normal position. The operation is repeated as the carriage moves to its limit; in opposite directions, and a layer of eloth is spread upon the table upon the limit o t movement of the carriage in either direction. 13y elidablv mounting the cloth laying bars 18 and 19 in the carriage lrame, and the arms 26 upon the post 25. it will be seen that these parts: are permitted automatie vertieal movement as the lavers oi" eloth increase in thickness. and that the mouths ot the cam shaped slots .27 are always disposed in horizontal alignment with the sleeves on the stub shaft '16 thereby eliminating the adjustment of these parts as each layer is formed.

In Figures 7 to 10 inclusive, I have shown diagramnnitie views of several positions of masses the c'loth laying-barsl8 and 19 in their travelover theta-hie. InFigure-7, several layers of 'clothhavebeen spread-and the carriage is'moving in a-direct-ion indicated' by thearrow. In Figure 8, the carriagehas reached the limit of its movement in one direction, at which time the position of the bars "18 and 19is reverse'd'to form a fold in the cloth and which is shown by the letter F. lhe newly madefold is bein'gheld by the'p'ortion 3O oft'he gripping bar. T he carriage is aboutreadytoniove in the direction of thearrow. In Figure 9, the carriage 'is nearing the opposite gripping bar withthe bars18 and 19 back in normalposition. In Figure 10 the bars are reversed andthe carriage is moved in a direction opposite to that shown inFigureQ. In other words, the carriage isabout to spread a new layer of cloth but the cloth laying bars have not as yet been reversed.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that any number of layers may be spread in stack or pile formation until the arms 26 and stubshafts 16 have reached the top of their respective'slots.

I wish'it'to be'underst'ood that ifdesired, the carriage couldbe connected with any suitable power which would in'ipart back and forward movement thereto which would render the machine entirely" automatic in its operation. v

Although I have specifically mentioned that th'e'machine is especially adapted for laying-cloth, I do not wish .to limit myself thereto, as wallpaper and other thin fiexible material could be laid in a similar manner without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention.

While I have described what I deem to be the most desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many of the details may be varied without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my invention limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is 1. A machine of the class described including a table, a carriage movable thereover, a cloth laying and folding member supported by said carriage, spaced clamping means, and coacting means operable for r0- tatim said member prior to the limit of movement of said carriage in opposite directions, to form a fold in the cloth for engagement by said clamping means.

2. A machine of the class described including a table, a carriage movable thereover, a cloth laying and folding member supported by said carriage, tension and guiding means for the cloth in its passage from a roll to said laying and folding memberyspac'e d clamping means, and co-actin'g means operable for rotating said member prior -to"the"lim-it of movement- 0f said carriagein opposite directions, to f'o'rma fold in the-cloth for engagement by said clamping 'mea-ns.

3. A machineof the class described incl'uding a table, a carriage movable across said table for laying a length of cloth thereonfmeans for forming a fold in the cloth prior to the limit of movement of the carriage in opposite directions, and means for gripping the-folded cloth adjacent the folds therein.

4. A machine of the class described including a table, a carriage movable across said table for laying a length of cloth thereon, automatic means for forming a fold in the'cloth prior to the limit of movement of the carriage in opposite directions, and automatic means for gripping the folded cloth adjacentthe folds therein as the folds are formed.

5. A'machine of'the class described including a table, spaced clamping means thereon, a carriage movable over said table between said clamping means, a rotatable member mounted in said carriage and throughwhi'chthe cloth is adapted to pass, and means for rotating said member to form a fold in the cloth near the limit of movement of said carriage in opposite directions, said member operating'said clamping means to cause the same to automatically engagethe folded ends of the Cloth upon the limits of movement of the carriage.

-6. A machine of the class described comprising a table, spaced gripping bars mounted upon the same for vertical sliding movement, a carriage movable over s'aid'table between said gripping bars and adapted to engage the same, a member journalled in said carriage for vertical sliding movement with respect thereto and adapted to spread a length of cloth on said table upon movement of the carriage thereover, coacting means for reversing the position of said member near the limit of movement of said carriage in either direction to form a fold in the cloth and for moving said member to normal position after the fold has been formed and engaged by said gripping bars, and the carriage is moving in an opposite direction to spread a new length of cloth.

7. A machine of the class described comprising a table, spaced gripping bars mounted upon the same, each bar having a pair of right angularly disposed gripping portions, a carriage, a rotatable member supported by said carriage including a pair of spaced bars, gear racks extending inwardly of said gripping bars. gears carried by said rotatable member for meshing engagement with said gear racks as the carriage nears the limit of its movement in opposite i'lirections to reverse the horizontal position oi said spaced bars to form a fold in a length of cloth adapted to pass therc between, said rotatable member co-acting with the respective gripping bars upon the extreme limit of movements of the carriage to cause the same to change the relative position oi? said gripping portions to receive the newly formed told of cloth.

8. A machine (it the class described comprising a table spaced gripping bars mounted upon the same, each bar having; a pair oi right anguiarly disposed gripping portions, a carriage, a rotatable member su 'iported by said carriage including a pair of spaced bars, near racks extending in wardly oit said gripping bars, gears carried by said rotatable member for meshing engagement with said gear racks as the carriage nears the limit of its movement in opposite directions to reverse the horizontal position of said spaced bars to form a fold in a length of cloth adapted to pass there between, said rotatable member co-acting with the respectifc gripping bars upon the extreme limit of movements at the carriage to cause the same to change the relative position o'l said gripping portions to receive the newly :iormed fold oi cloth, and automatic means for constantly maintaining said gripping bars, rotatable member and gear racks in proper horizontal alignment as the thickness of {he tolded cloth increases upon said table.

5 A machine oi the class described comprising a table, a pair of base plates arranged in spaced relation upon said table, adjustable means tor clamping; said plates upon said tables a pair of posts rising from ach base plate, a member slidable vertically enses upon each post, a rotatable gripping bar journalled in each transversely aligned pair o'l members, a gear rack formed in each member and extending inwardly of said stripping bars, a carriage movable over said table between said gripping bars, a cloth laying and told forming member vertically mo able with respect to said carriage, and gears on. said last mentioned member for engraeement by said gear racks to rotate the some one-halt revolution to form a fold in a length of cloth to be engaged by said gripping bars.

10. A machine of the class described comprising a table, a pair of base plates arranged in spaced relation upon said table, adjustable means 't'or clamping said plates upon said table, a pair of posts rising from each base plate, a member slidable vertically upon aeh post, a rotatable gripping bar journalled in each transversely aligned pair at members. a gear raclc formed in each member and extending inwardly of said gripping: bars, a *arriage movable over said table between said gripping bars, a cloth laying and told torming member vertically movable with respect to said carriage and gears on said last mentioned member "for ei'igragement by said gear racks to rotate the same one-halt revolution to form afold in a length of cloth to be engaged by said grip pingbars said gears and gear racks being out of horizontal alignment, and co-actingmeans for moving said cloth laying and gri 'iping member to cause said gears to more to a position for engagement by said gear rack.

in testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature.

HARRY SCI'UVARTZMAN. 

